This research proposes to examine the women victims of the battered women syndrome. The specific objectives of this project are to determine the psychological and sociological factors involved in battered women, to test out the theory of learned helplessness and the cycle theory of violence against women, and to collect and interpret an enormous amount of data from 400 battered women. The battered women to be studied in this project will be self-identified volunteers who live in the Denver-Rocky Mountain area in HEW Region 8. Battering behavior will be defined as psychologically or physically abusive behavior done by a man against a woman in order to coerce her into doing what it is he wants without regard for her rights as a person. It is hypothesized that early social influences on women facilitate a condition called "learned helplessness" which causes them to feel powerless to leave a violent intra-family relationship. It is further suggested that a cycle theory of violence against women accounts for much of the psychological dependency bonds between the battering spouses. Men are described as extremely kind and loving after they have battered a woman. The tension build up, acute battering incident, and kind, loving behavior occur on a cyclical basis. This unpredicable behavior contributes to the woman's victimization. It is said that battered women are the largest group of victims of a hidden crime. This research will gather the data necessary to bring this crime out into the public domain. The project involves the collection, analysis and dissemination of data over a two year period. Plans for dissemination of results include a series of reports which will be submitted for publication and presentations at national professional association meetings.